DRIVE-THRU proposals have whipped residents up into a 'McFury' over the potential impact of drivers queuing for quarter-pounders.

Ashford North Residents’ Association members are campaigning against plans for a 24-hour takeaway opposite Ashford Hospital, after plans were submitted to Spelthorne Borough Council by McDonald’s Restaurants.

The burger giant said a takeaway at the junction of the A30 London Road and Stanwell Road would create jobs for the area, although residents claim the drive-thru would be terrible.

Campaigner Pauline Preston lives in Kennilworth Road, which would back on to any queues of cars using the fast-food venue. She said: “We will be subjected to the constant smell of McDonald’s. I can think of nothing worse.

“There are a number of issues with this application. There will be the problems it creates with traffic as cars queue along one of the busiest junctions in the borough. It is just going to make life unbearable.”

Sue Harvey, 55, of Stanwell Road, said residents had already fought to stop a hotel being built on the old VW garage site and they would do everything in their power to do the same with McDonald's.

This includes leafleting the area so everyone will know about the issue and writing to the borough council to make their objections known.

Mrs Harvey said: “How is this likely to affect residents? It is close to schools, there will be the cooking smells, light and noise pollution from the restaurant, 24-7, 365 days a year.

“There will be vermin from the waste, properties will be devalued and it will take business from small restaurants in town.

“We only have until May 2 to raise our objections.”

Barry Muggeridge, chairman of the Ashford Town Pride Team, understood the plans would be divisive but said it would ultimately be the residents who determined the success or failure of the restaurant.

Had the burger giant’s plans been for the town centre – and there had been talk of occupying the closed Royal Hart pub in Church Road – it would have acted as a magnet, drawing others into Ashford.

Equally, he said, the town already has a large number of fast-food outlets although few arguably with the global footprint of McDonald's.

Mr Muggeridge added: “It’s there, it is a big company coming into the area. Let’s hope others follow.”

A spokesman for McDonald’s said: “I can confirm that we have submitted plans for a restaurant in Ashford. A new McDonald’s would bring investment to the area and provide 65 full and part-time jobs for the community.

“As a business that is part of local communities up and down the country, we would like to reassure residents that our main priority is to be a good neighbour.

“We will continue to work closely with any member of the community who has concerns about the impact of our business.

“Our restaurant teams carry out litter patrols three times a day and we work hard to ensure our day-to-day business does not impact on our residential neighbours.”